Met's Public Affairs office employment policy

Paul Stephenson former Metropolitan Police commissioner stated at the Culture Select Committee today that a quarter of the Mets Public Affairs office are ex-News International. I wonder how these people where employed? I wonder if they were recommend by other staff?

 

I also wonder how many staff worked for other papers? Shame these questions were not also asked so that we could have some prospective on the influence of News international in the Public Affairs office.

 

Of course John Yates former assistant chief constable did send the CV personally for employment of Mr Wallis, so influence did occur there.

Press on Andy Coulson is bring results

Old Holborn is rightly suspicious of the News of The World and in turn Andy Coulson. See Stop being so naive Iain...

I think it is very wrong to not employ people because of their previous history when nothing has been proven. Problem is this is politics and its nasty and dirty. Perhaps it is better for politicians to not employ the services of controversial figures even if they are good at their
job.

I'm certainly no fan of Andy Coulson or the News of the World and I remain suspicious of his involvement in the phone hacking scandal. But the prove does seem tenuous.

One thing is for certain now that the Metropolitan Police is to examine new evidence, this is further proof that the more you can keep a story in the public eye the more chance the media and supporters of the story have of getting a result and a scalp.

News of the World wrong on PS3 in prisons and Sun Cable quotes misleading

My readers will know that I don't believe what I read in the press. I find some papers are too biased and full of half truths. Heres two examples

Todays News of the World 2nd page has a Story headline 'Luxury Lags get PS3 Perk' on page two

Now have a look at the photo. Thats not a PS3 controller the so called jailbird has. Its a PS1 controller. These are worth almost nothing now (selling for 99pence on ebay). If you are going to claim that half are allowed Playstations PS3 at least show the prisoner with the right controller when mentioning the PS3 several times in the article. Prisoners are not being given PS3 at tax payers expense. They maybe given a console by friends or family or perhaps donated one. But they are not siting there playing PS3 all day.

The other Story was in the Sun on bank holiday Monday called 'Unstable Cable' Catchy it maybe but the example in the headline is taken out of context.

Where in October 2008 Vince Cable said 'It is entirely wrong for the government to stimulate the economy by yet more public spending' he was referring to the spending by the government should be on capital projects not on normal public expenditure. Where Vince Cable said in February 2009 'We believe the government stimulus is right and necessary' Vince Cable was talking about the quantitative easing program not public spending, too totally unrelated types of stimulus'. Yes Cable is not perfect but if you are going to attack him atleast use the right quotes otherwise you may as well make the story up.

Vince Cable did not disagree with quantitative easing he simply warned about not over doing it he said 'Monetary easing may prove to be necessary but will have to be managed with great skill and care'. The situation in the economy was developing and Vince Cable did change some of his views based on the changing economic situation. I don't really see what wrong with that, surely its because politicians are not allowed to be fexlible that their hands become tied for fear of being seen to 'Unstable' and therefore can't respond as required by the situation.

Todays link is to The Norfolk Blogger who has done this little video on the 'Contradiction of the Tory Marriage Tax proposal'